Tracing My Family History–One Ancestor at a Time
Joseph Bimeler's cabin, built 1817, Zoar, Ohio
A few days ago I was interviewed for David’s Booktalk. After hearing about my family history and its relationship to my stories, David asked if I’d put my family history on my website. I agreed. Thinking about various traits in my distant relations I’ve uncovered in historical records, I marvel at how many of my ancestor’s traits I’ve seen revealed in relatives I’ve known.
Let’s start with my 4th great grandfather, Joseph, the first to come to America.
Joseph Michael Bäumler (Americanized to Bimeler)
Born 26 May 1778 in Merklingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Little is known about Joseph’s early years, but as an adult, he was considered pious and God-fearing. On 3 August 1802 he married Barbara Danzer in Ulm, Germany and, to counter his all-too-holy image, their daughter, also named Barbara, was born on 18 January 1803. (Do the math!) A year later a son, Peter, was born on 7 March 1804. Sadly, wife Barbara died 8 months later, leaving Joseph with a twenty-two month daughter and an infant son. How he managed or who might have helped him we don’t know. He worked as a weaver, though, and possibly a school teacher.
Time passed and Joseph met a group of religous people who refused to follow the state religion in Baden-Württemberg, which they considered corrupt. For their beliefs these people, called Separatists, were imprisoned, flogged, had their children adopted out, and had their property confiscated. Finally, Quakers in England, hearing of their plight, helped arrange for them to escape to America. According to historic records, Joseph’s leadership became apparent during the lengthy trip in squalid steerage on the ship.
But…Joseph left his daughter, Barbara, behind in Germany. Why? We don’t know. She was fourteen by then, old enough to have been a helpmate. Instead, he took his son, Peter, age thirteen, who from all accounts never amounted to much in America. Barbara married Georg Geissler in 3 May 1830 in Gerstten, Germany. Georg was infamously born illegitimate 10 October 1797. What made Barbara marry a man of such poor lineage? She’d not married until age 27 so was she considered unmarriageable only relieved to find a husband? We may never know. I’ve made inquiries about descendents of Barbara but so far I haven’t found any. She died 15 May 1845 at age 42.
In the meantime, Joseph and Peter settled in Zoar, Ohio, named for the place where Lot had found sanctuary after leaving Sodom much as the Separatists had found sanctuary in America. Joseph’s cabin is still standing and in use today.
Joseph Bimeler's cabin today
Joseph served as both the secular and religious leader, ruling with an iron hand, to all accounts. After seven years of celibacy (for both religious and practical reasons–they needed the women’s efforts), the Separatists built the Ohio Canal through their land and paid off their mortgage with the proceeds. Joseph decreed marriage was allowed and he promptly married his housekeeper, Dorothea. (In a strange later occurrence my grandmother married a newly-widowed man. She’d been his wife’s nurse and stayed on to keep house for him after her death.)
Joseph died 27 August 1853 in Zoar, Ohio. A dominating man to the end, he kept the title to more than 5000 acress of Separatist land in only his name until three days before his death. Maybe thought he could take it with him?
Come back next week to learn what happened to his son, Peter.
